Bygone Days
by TheMattdude
Summary: Years after Everest's brother attacked Adventure Bay to try and "teach her", we follow the PAW Patrol as they live with daily struggles and old wounds. We see them through good times, as well as bad.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is a story I wrote a while ago, I just never published it. I just joined the FanFiction community, so I guess I have yet to prove myself in a sense. Anyway, this story contains characters that me and one of my friends came up with, so if a name is unfamiliar don't try and connect it to other stories at this point. I am working on other stories to give a bit more background to other characters. As you read this, it is important to keep in mind what is said in the first few paragraphs. There is mention of a pup named Isaac, and he was thought up of by my friend. I told him I would give him proper mentioning, so I guess that counts. And no, Isaac is not mentioned too much in this story, but I'll chat with my friend about publishing a story on him later at some point. With that done, enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own PAW Patrol.**_

* * *

It had been three years since it had happened. Ryder and us pups did everything we could. We succeeded in protecting Adventure Bay, but it cost us a lot. Two civilians had been killed, many more wounded. Us pups suffered great injuries, but we had driven back the wolves. I had never seen anything like it, my brother attacking everyone to get to me. I know he will never trouble us again, he's finally behind bars.

Some of the newer generation children would ask about what we did in the past, before he came. I was the only one willing to talk about it with them, since it brought us all great pain we lived with everyday. I lived with it too. I had gotten lucky, and escaped without too much damage to my body. Others were not so lucky. In the battle, I had my nose heavily wounded. I could still breathe through it, but I could not smell any scents at all. My food never had any flavor, it had become only nourishment.

My husband, Marshall, had also hardly sustained any wounds. He had a prominent limp, but the biggest wound he suffered were the memories. He had been there when the two civilians had been brutally murdered, and he still had nightmares about it. He had become quiet and cautious, a shell of what he once was. Rubble had lost several toes and an ear, but said he didn't need them anyway. He had taken it the most lightly. He tried not to dwell on it, but he still refused to talk about it. Tonya was missing part of her hind-left leg, after my brother clamped his jaws there and refused to let go. Rocky had become deaf, caught in an explosion by a gas station. I felt bad for Zuma, as he was living in a world with no light. He had become blind after one of my brother's follows raked his claws across Zuma's face, giving nasty scars and a permanent wound. Chase had been trapped in a fire. He had scars from the burns on his legs, patches where his fur would grow back. The smoke had ruined his throat, and he couldn't speak anymore. Rocky and him had become best friends, going on with silent, signing conversations that amused me. Ryder had been overpowered by my brother and his thugs, and they ruined his legs. He used a wheelchair to move about now, and it was depressing at times. We were strong, though, and we pulled through.

Skye had suffered the worst though. It was thanks to her we won and captured Isaac, but she had lost. As far as we knew, she was dead. We denied it at first, but evidence told us that she had given her life trying to save Adventure Bay. We had only ever found her collar, vest, and wings, all of them torn and covered in blood. Chase would sink in and out of depression, and he was mentally unstable. He would wander Adventure Bay, from the town to the mountains to the forests. He would disappear for days, only to return just fine.

All of us who were married, though, had lost the things most dear to us. All of our children had gone, they had left without a trace. They had put in their best into the battle, helping from the Lookout. Afterwards, they had been quiet and reclusive. Then, one morning, we could not find them anywhere. Chase's daughter, Crystal, had written a note saying that they had left to finish it. Whatever they meant by "it", we did not know. My pups, Miracle, Ace, and Winter had all left. Tonya and Rocky's pups, Gadget and Joy, had also left. We had been heart broken, and yet we kept on marching through it. We helped each other with our feelings, supported one another. We did not rescue much anymore, but some of us would still do acts of kindness for the sake of the memories, and what we were. We were still the PAW Patrol. No matter how broken we were, physically and mentally, we always came through. Through brightest day, and darkest night, we always came through, and did what was right.

* * *

"Chase," I said, "I know you miss her, I do too. You can't keep disappearing though. Please, please just stay here. Don't go again." He signed something at me, and I was offended. "Chase, how dare you speak like that! I know you're angry, sad, depressed. We all are." He kept signing arguments with me.

 _But Rubble isn't,_ he signed. I sighed. He was right, but Rubble was also the youngest. He wasn't married, and didn't have any pups of his own. He hadn't suffered from any sort of serious injury either, but I knew Rubble was depressed at heart.

"We can't keep holding onto the fact that she might be alive. If she was alive, she would have made her way back by now. It has been three years, Chase. Don't you think that that's plenty of time for her to come back if she wanted to?"

 _You might see me as depressed. I call it hope. I hope she's alive, and that alone is worth keeping the thought she might be alive, alive._ I nodded.

"I know, and I hope she is alive to. But, I'm ready to accept that she is probably dead. I'm not trying to hurt you by saying that, but, please stop leaving. You go looking for her for days, scouring Adventure Bay, and everytime you leave you worry us. We're worried about you Chase. We're worried about what you might do to yourself."

 _I know you are. Sometimes, I worry about what I might do to myself. I don't hope she's out there and alive, I know she is. We have to find her._

"Chase, please just listen to me!" I begged. "We all suffered from that attack. We all payed a price. I would rather live knowing that Skye died helping us, rather than think we have been ignoring her existence for the past three years. The fourth year anniversary of that victory is coming up in a few weeks. Please, don't hurt yourself." He remained silent, but then again, he usually did. He didn't sign anything at me, he turned and walked away. I was hoping I didn't do anything when Marshall came in. He walked towards me silently, and laid down beside me. He was fully capable of speech, he just chose not to speak much. "Hey, my fire," I said, using a nickname I had given him.

"Hm," he sighed at me. I sighed, knowing how much it pressed down on us. No matter how much we tried to forget, we were left with physical reminders about what happened. Marshall and Chase were left with scars on the mind. Chase had lost his whole immediate family, and Marshall had gained images of bloody bodies. I shivered, and Marshall put his paw around me. He kept staring at the floor, and I leaned into him. I licked the side of his face, and he turned to me. He gave a weak smile, and spoke. "Hi, honey. I'm sorry, I was just, thinking." He didn't have to say more. He may have been a good doctor, and sometimes even a good surgeon, but seeing peoples' insides on a table in a sterile environment was different then seeming them still attached to mauled bodies.

Zuma came walking in, a small cane in his paw. He used it for "seeing", even though he knew the ways around the Lookout by heart. "Everest?" he asked, "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," I answered. Zuma's sense of smell had gotten better, and I was a little jealous. I could never smell anything, and it got annoying time and time again. "What are you up to?"

"I was planning on going around town. Is that, Marshall, I'm smelling?" Marshall gave an "Hm-mm" in reply. "Do either of you want to join me?" he asked.

"I'd like to," I answered. I poked my mate.

"Yeah, I'll go too," he said after a sigh. I gave him a smile, followed by a kiss. He never liked to go into town much, but sometimes he was willing to go.

"Hey, Zuma," I said, "Do you want to see if the others want to come?" He rapidly nodded his head.

"Sure, the more the merrier! I'll see if I can't find Rubble." He turned down the hall, and started walking away. I turned to Marshall.

"Do you want to see if you can't find Chase? I'll go find Rocky and Tonya." Marshall nodded, and I walked out of the Lookout. They had a special workshop that they spent a lot of time in, and I went there first thing.

"Hello?" I called out when I walked inside. "Anyone home?"

"No, there's no one home," answered Tonya. I smiled. She said that everytime I came to see if she was in here. I walked in, and Tonya was already looking at me. She came over to me, and hugged me. She had developed a habit of coping with what happened by giving hugs. I didn't mind it, but she would start freaking out if she wasn't able to physically touch or love someone for long periods of time. When I say freak out, I mean she would go insane. She was left alone for almost a whole day while she was doing something, and Ryder and the rest of us were on a trip she didn't want to go on. When we came back, she was to the point of insanity. It was only after being with Rocky for several hours did she calm down. "So what are you up to, girl?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go with me, Marshall, Zuma, and maybe Chase for a walk into town. Rocky too." I saw her eyes light up.

"Oh, I'd love too! I'm sure Rocky would as well." She walked over to Rocky. I watched her. The part of leg she lost in the attack she had replaced with a metal one. She had designed it to act on her thoughts of what she wanted it to do, and it worked pretty well. It was clacking on the floor as she walked over to her husband. I watched, fascinated with how they got along. Tonya tapped Rocky on the shoulder, and he turned around. He looked at Tonya, then noticed me. He and Tonya were signing to each other, until Rocky set down his tool. Tonya came back towards me, Rocky in tow. He gave me a little wave, and I waved back at him. We all walked out, and made our way towards the Lookout.

The others met us by the doors. Chase was there, and he stared at the ground. We had become kind of an awkward group after the battle. One of us was blind, one was deaf, one couldn't speak, one couldn't smell, one couldn't live alone, and one couldn't escape the memories. I noticed Rubble wasn't there.

"Zuma," I started, "Where's Rubble?"

"He said he wanted to work with Wyder. They awe working on something that they want to get done, so he isn't coming." We walked across the bridge, taking in the day. It was a bright, sunny day, with lots of people out and about. We walked past Katie's just as she walked out the door.

"Oh, hi pups," Katie said. "Is there something I could do for you?" We looked at each other, thinking if we needed anything. Tonya signed to Rocky, and he shook his head. One by one, we shook our heads. Katie nodded. "Ok. If there is anything you want help with, though, just let me know." We heard a crash come from inside, and Katie rushed back in. Tonya, Zuma, Marshall and me laughed. Rocky looked at us with confusion, and Chase had a serious expression. He never gave the impersonation that he was laughing, and he always seemed a bit sad. We continued on, our group walking past City Hall. There was a throng of people there, gathered for something. We looked at each other, not sure what was going on. We snuck through the crowds, me leading the way.

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry," I said. Eventually, people started looking at us. They grew silent, and parted so we could get through. It was eerie, everyone just staring at us. Eventually, I heard someone shout.

"It's the PAW Patrol!" came a voice from the crowd. Everyone erupted into cheers, some reaching a tentative hand out to scratch us. I basked in the crowd, and when I looked back not everyone had the same enthusiasm as me. Zuma was beaming, Marshall was giving a weak smile, and Tonya was also smiling. She stayed close to Rocky though, who looked a bit worried. Chase had the same stoic face on, and I noticed no one reaching out to try and scratch or pet him. My smile turned into a worried frown, and I went back to him. I rubbed against him affectionately, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward. I whispered in his ear.

"Chase, these people love you. They are glad for what you did, and you so rarely show yourself. Just enjoy it for now. Return their affection. You've known these people for years." I trotted back to Marshall, and when I looked back Chase was smiling at the crowd.

The crowd was bigger than I thought. It didn't take long to get to the heart since they let us through, but there were a lot of people. When we reached the center, I saw it was a bake-sale of sorts. Several people were there at the table, including Mr. Porter, Alex, and Mayor Goodway. They were grinning at us, and Mayor Goodway came forward. She knelt down, and addressed us.

"Rocky, Tonya, Zuma, Chase, Marshall, Everest, it's good to see you. It feels like ages since we have seen you pups, and you have come at a time no better than this. We are hosting a bake-sale, and the proceeds go to animal rescue centers and hospitals in the state! We were about to begin the pie-making competition. The winner gets a ribbon, and Katie is preparing a special treat for everyone! She has been very secretive about it. I don't even know what it is!" The Mayor was very enthusiastic about it all. I looked at Marshall, who still had the weak smile on his face.

"Come on, my fire! Have some fun! Lighten up! Let's have a good time! I'll let Ryder know what we're doing." He nodded, and I walked away from the crowd. There was people everywhere, but the crowd was really noisy. I could put up with loud noises, but I still disliked them. I went over to Mr. Porter's, and there was hardly any people there. I called Ryder.

"Hi Everest, what's up?" he asked.

"Us pups are going to stay in town for a while. They are having a bake sale, and Mayor Goodway would like it if we stayed. Is that alright?" I knew Ryder was going to say that we could. We had become reclusive, and he had always encouraged us to go out into town.

"Sure. Just make sure you don't lose anyone." I stifled a small giggle. I knew it shouldn't be a laughing matter, but it was possible. Zuma couldn't see anyone, so we had to make sure he was with us. If Rocky got lost, he wouldn't be able to hear anyone calling his name. It all came down to how cautious we were. Anyway, I headed back to City Hall. I made my way through the crowd, having to go by sight and hearing. It didn't take long, since there was a cluster of people around my friends. I snuck my way through the people, and my friends were playing with a bunch of children. Well, most of them. Chase and Zuma weren't. I knew why Zuma wasn't, but Chase kind of surprised me. I walked over to him.

"Chase, what's wrong? I thought you loved children," I said. He signed back at me.

 _I do love children. It's just, why are we having fun? Our children our gone, Skye is gone, we're all only parts of who we were. Look at us. We are a sorry group._ My mouth hung open at what Chase said. I shouldn't have been surprised, he usually said things like that.

"Chase, what have I told you about that? Acting like we aren't 'worth it'?"

 _I know what you said. It just seems like that's what's true._ I sighed at him again, a little disgusted with his attitude. I went off to Marshall, who was letting a little girl ride on his back.

"Wheee! Faster horsey! Faster!" she said. She gave a laugh as Marshall sped up, making sure he didn't slip. It felt like ages since I had seen my friends have this much fun, and it made me happy. Most of the kids stayed away from Tonya though. Based off of their stares, I figured it was because of her robotic leg. I walked over to her.

"It seems the kids don't trust ya," I teased, using my sarcastic voice. She had a pained look on her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything mean," I hurriedly said.

"No, it's not that," Tonya said. "I have a massive headache." Tonya regularly got painful headaches for no obvious reason. We figured it had to do with her leg, but we weren't certain.

"Do you want to head back to the Lookout?" I asked, but she shook her head.

"No, ow, remind me to not shake my head again for a while. Anyway, no, I don't want to head back. I like being here. But all the noise...I think I do want to go back." I nodded.

"Do you want me to take you back?"

"If you want to. It's not like I haven't walked to the Lookout before." She started walking off, and I followed her. It's not that I thought she needed me, I just felt safer knowing I was with her. Apart from my nose, I also had at times difficulty breathing. I usually can breathe just fine, but if I forget to take my medicine my muscles start to shut down. I needed to stay on top of it, and I hadn't taken my medicine yet. I should've by now, but oh well. So long as I had daily doses within thirty-six hours of each other, I was fine.

I also didn't trust leaving one of us pups alone. We all had the thoughts. The thoughts to just end it. I had come this close to doing it once. I had a food-cutting knife in my paw when I was making dinner, and I had almost done it. I stopped myself before I did it. We were all liable to do it. We made our way across the bridge in silence. I could tell that Tonya's head must've really been hurting, because she kept holding her paw up to it.

"Tonya," I said, "It's ok. We're almost there."

"I, know," she said. I didn't like how she was sounding. She sounded out of breath, wheezy. We were walking up the Lookout driveway when she collapsed. I was instantly by her, looking over her to make sure she was alive. She was breathing, and she had a steady pulse. I pulled her on my back, and continued my way to the Lookout. I had to be careful to not strain myself, otherwise I might not be able to breathe. I reached the Lookout, and it was getting harder to breathe. I knew that if I didn't take my pills I would be in more trouble than Tonya. I went over to Marshall's pup-house where I slept. I also had pills in there, in case I ever needed them. My breaths were starting to become shorter and more labored.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Just a short author's note, but please tell me what you think. If you want to learn more about Tonya or any of the pups mentioned that were offspring of the couples in this fanfic, I will be sure to make that a top priority. I'll try and regularly post chapters for this story, as I said I already have it complete. Until the next chapter, this is TheMattdude signing off.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: This might seem like an incredibly short time between chapters, but I couldn't wait any longer. As I said in the first chapter, I have already written out the entire story. I am just uploading it a chapter at a time, and my original plan was to upload a chapter a week. Then I realized I couldn't be THAT cruel...except to the characters in the story at times XD. I was a bit surprised to see that on the first day the first chapter was up I got a very positive review. I also got a very good suggestion on where this story should go, but I already know where I'm taking it. As with the first chapter, enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own PAW Patrol**_

* * *

My paws were shaking as I undid the cap to the bottle my pills were in. They were a special pill Marshall had made that worked almost instantly. I put one in my mouth, and as it dissolved I could breathe better. That had been a close one. It had been a while since I had come that close. I waited a moment, allowing myself to enjoy being able to breathe more easily.

I went back to Tonya after I had taken care of my medicine. I put her on my back, and carried her into the Lookout. I gently set her down on a cushion, then went to see what I could find in the Medical room of the Lookout. I found painkillers, which would be enough. If my guess was correct, the pain of Tonya's headache is what caused her to black-out. Her breathing and heart-beat were just fine, she was just out cold. I was waiting for her to wake up when Ryder came in.

"Hi, Everest," he said. "I thought you were staying in town?"

"I was planning on it when Tonya got a headache. We were on our way here when she collapsed. She seems fine, I have a feeling she passed out from the pain of her headache." He nodded.

"That sounds likely. Are the other pups doing good?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Last I saw them, they were playing with some children." Ryder grinned.

"Glad to hear. You all have been cooped up for too long." Ryder turned and left, presumably to go work on a project of sorts. That left me alone with Tonya, who was still unconscious. I decided I was hungry. I hadn't eaten much at all today, and I was ravenous. I walked down to the kitchen, and looked in the fridge. I grabbed some bread and leftover chicken, and fixed myself a simple sandwich. I didn't need any sort of toppings, I never tasted them anyway. As I was chewing, I was hit with that idea again. I looked around. I was alone. I could do it. The knives were right there. Chase was right. We weren't worth anything, we were just parts of what we used to be. Shells of our former selves, just sitting here collecting dust. We had served our purpose, they didn't need us pups anymore. No, I shouldn't do it.

Yet, the knives were right there. They were wicked sharp, I had cut myself before with them. I even had scars to prove it. As I was eating my sandwich, I kept looking at the knives. The handles were sitting there, inviting me to grab one. I looked over at them, then at the doorway. They would find me soon enough, it would only be a matter of time. I walked over to the knives. My paw wrapped itself around the handle, and drew it out of the cutting block. It would only take a matter of moments, just to end it all. All the pain, the wounds, the suffering. I brought the knife up, pointing it towards my own chest. I was just about to do it when something stopped me. My mind went to Marshall, Chase, Zuma, all my friends. Everything we had done together, the happy memories. Did I really want to throw all of it away? But, I was useless. I hadn't done much that was helpful to the public, I never left. I just sat here, day after day, collecting dust. And yet, what would happen to Marshall? He's already in a poor state as it is, he would just spiral out of control.

I wrestled with my emotions and thoughts. Finally, I knew what to do. I brought the knife away from my chest, and put it back in the cutting block. I stepped away, shivering at the thought of what I had almost done. I took care of the bread and chicken, and went back to Tonya. She was awake, the only reason I knew is because she opened her eye to look at me. She closed it again, and groaned.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Do I have to answer that?" Tonya groaned. I opened up the medicine I had grabbed.

"Here's some painkiller. It should help make the pain go away for a bit." I took two tablets out of the jar, and handed them to Tonya. She took them, and put them in her mouth. She swallowed, and then spoke.

"While this medicine is doing its thing, could I have some food? I'm starving." I nodded, and went to grab some food for her. I got a plate, and made her a sandwich. I knew what she liked. She liked mustard and provolone cheese, but no mayo. I had been cooking for the pups, which was kind of ironic since I couldn't smell or taste. It was weird, because they all said I was really good. I brought the plate out, and set it in front of Tonya.

"Mmm, thanks," she said. She slowly got up, obviously still with a headache. She ate slowly, chewing thoroughly. We sat in silence when I spoke out.

"I almost did it," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"What?" Tonya asked between bites.

"I almost did it," I said, a little more loudly. "I came this close to ending it." Tonya looked at me like she couldn't quite comprehend what I was talking about. "I almost killed myself! I almost sunk the knife into my chest!" I started crying. I had only ever almost committed suicide once, with the same knife in the same kitchen. Tonya came over to me, and hugged me. I wasn't sure whether she was doing it because I was putting under stress, or if she felt sorry for me. I had a feeling that it was both though. I cried into her arms, thinking about everything. We had lost Skye. We had lost our pups. We had almost lost Ryder. I couldn't contain myself. I rarely shed tears, keeping them deep inside myself. Now they were all coming out, uncontrollable. I cried for Chase and how he must feel everyday, having no family around him. He had lost his wife and his only daughter. I cried for Rocky, and how silent his world must be day in and day out. Unable to hear his own wife's beautiful voice, hear her sing. I thought about Zuma and how hard it must be for him to have to go around without any light to guide him.

I cried for Marshall, and how horrible it must be waking up every night, screaming. For Ryder, and how hard it must be to have to cope with not being able to run around anymore, to have to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. It all came out. I cried for what felt like an eternity, and I managed to collect myself. I sniffed, one last tear running down my face.

"It's ok, Everest. It's ok," Tonya said, hugging me again. I shut my eyes tight, trying not to cry again. "Everest, do you want to see something?" she asked me. I nodded, anything to get my mind off of my friends. She walked away, and I followed her. She led me across the Lookout yard, to her workshop. I sighed, not that interested in tech. I still followed her, and she led me to her worktable. I thought she was going to show me something on it when we walked past it. She led me to a door, and she opened it. We walked inside, and I looked around. There was a white sheet on one side of the wall, covered in paint smears and splatters. There were several other paint marks on the walls and ceiling. Tonya walked over to the sheet, and pulled it down. I gasped as I saw what it was.

It was a large painting, but still small enough to fit through the door. It was longer than it was wide, and the detail on it was incredible. It was a painting of all us pups, including Skye, Miracle, Ace, Winter, Gadget, Joy, and Crystal. Ryder was in it too, and he was standing behind everyone. I could see the individual strands of fur on us pups, and all the leaves on the trees. I looked in the background of the painting, and on a hill off in the distance I could see the Lookout. I saw the bridge, and the town of Adventure Bay. It brought tears to my eyes, seeing it. How young our pups were, seeing Skye in the photo. It was beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Tonya asked.

"Like it? I love it. It's, gorgeous." I wiped a real tear from my eye, and I was sniffling.

"Thanks. It took me forever to paint it, and I finally finished just the other day."

"You, should show the others," I said, choking on my words. Tonya nodded. She was about to say something when we heard the door open. We looked at each other, and Tonya raised an eyebrow. We walked out, and there was Rocky. He was turned away from us, digging through a pile of tools. Tonya walked up behind him, and placed her paw on his shoulder. He jumped, startled at his wife's touch. She gave a small laugh, then hugged him. He hugged back, and kissed her. She started signing with him. I could read what they were signing, but I couldn't quite do sign-language myself. I had tried to learn, but I could never remember how to properly position my paws. I read their conversation.

 _Yeah, they're back,_ Rocky signed.

 _If you wait here with Everest while I go get them, would that work?_ Tonya signed back. Rocky looked at me.

 _Sure, but you know she can't talk back to me. Why can't she go get them? I've only been able to talk with Chase for the past hour and he keeps thinking about the same things. Skye, Crystal, we're all worthless, you get the idea._

 _I didn't say you had to sign with her. Just keep each other company. I won't be gone long._ Tonya walked out, and Rocky and I stood there staring at each other. I felt very awkward, not being able to converse with him. I decided to try something. Rocky had been working on reading other people's lips, and so I tried it.

"Can you understand what I am saying?" I mouthed. He looked at me with a curious expression on his face, then he seemed to understand it.

" _Can I read your lips?"_ he signed back to me. I nodded. _Kind of. You don't move your lips that much when you speak. Try putting more effort into forming your mouth, but please don't go overboard and make yourself look stupid._ I smiled.

"How is this?" I mouthed.

 _Better. I think I might be able to understand you a bit more, but it can only go so far._

"Well, it is better than nothing."

 _True. Doesn't mean it isn't frustrating, but it still works._

"How is it frustrating?"

 _I keep thinking you are trying to talk to me. It seems like I should be hearing your voice, even though I can't. I don't see why I keep thinking that though. I haven't been able to hear anything for years._

"Well, we could keep practicing. It would be better than trying to have to sign all the time." He looked offended. "No, that's not what I mean! I mean for me to try and have to learn. It's not bad, I just can't wrap my head around it."

 _And yet you can understand me just fine. I think someone is just a little too lazy._ I was offended by that. I had a feeling he was joking, but it had become hard to tell.

"I am not lazy," I mouthed back. "I can't wrap my mind around it. It's too hard to remember how to move my paws and make it flow together." Rocky eyed me suspiciously. He shrugged. I was just about to mouth something else when the door opened. I turned to look, and Rocky mimicked my movement. Tonya was there, with just about everyone in tow, including Ryder.

"Sorry for the mess," Tonya said, sliding stuff to the side. "No one but me and Rocky usually come in here. Everest, you and Rocky good?" She also signed the last part to Rocky, who nodded his head. "Glad to hear it, let's go." Everyone followed her, and I motioned for Rocky to follow. He did so cautiously, but I wouldn't blame him. There had been one time when some of the pups played a cruel joke on him, where they had led him to a room and trapped him inside. I was the one who found him, and I thought it was horrible. He signed some things that I dare not repeat to anyone, but the whole thing had blown over quickly. Really, he only trusted me, Tonya, and Ryder. I am kind of on the fence, but I know he trusted Tonya with his life. She had already saved him a couple times, from things he couldn't hear. Tonya led us into her painting room, and I heard several gasps. Tonya was explaining it, and if it was anything like what I felt, the others would be blown away. Eventually, I heard Ryder's voice come.

"Tonya, I think it's amazing. I say we should hang it up in the Lookout. Anyone else agree with me?" Tonya came over and signed to Rocky what Ryder had said. He nodded his head, and raised his paw. I raised my paw as well. Rubble's went up next, then Marshall's, and I even saw Zuma raise his paw. I had a feeling he was just assuming from the gasps he heard that it was really good, and it made me laugh inside. The only paw I didn't see was Chase's. I had a feeling that was coming. Despite what everyone tried to tell him, he still hung onto Skye. I felt sad for him. He had never asked to lose his wife or his daughter, and yet he lost them both. I could only imagine the pain that this painting was bringing him, seeing them both. He walked up to the painting, and reached his paw out to it. I was expecting him to rip it to shreds, but he surprised me. He stroked the painting Skye's face, a smile on his face. Tears were coming from his eyes, and I saw his lip quiver. The corners of his mouth went down, like he was struggling to contain himself. He slowly raised his paw, and the vote was unanimous.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Just wanted to say that I'm probably going to upload the next chapter tomorrow, for the people who can't stand not knowing what happens next. I myself have been there when I read a story, and realize that there is no next chapter...and I have to wait weeks or months for a new chapter. Finally, I have other stories that I am looking to upload, and I had an idea that might work. Just to get my stories out there (I have had some written for months now with only one friend reading them), I figured to take a poll. I'm curious to see which one I'd upload first (I'd do one this week, the other next week) - do you guys want to read more about one of the pups/offspring of the couples, or would you rather see more of a high school fic? Both are (hopefully obviously) PAW Patrol, and I would appreciate it if you left comments on which you want to read. Until then, this TheMattdude signing off.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I'm glad to see that I am getting at least some positive reviews. It really pushes me to keep publishing chapters for this story, as well as work on other stories. I am trying to complete other stories in Google Docs, so I don't have to write the story out chapter by chapter. I find it much easier to keep the story's plot all in a line when I write it all as one story, then publish chapters, if you get what I'm saying. I'm probably only going to get a couple more chapters out of this story, but I have already been turning my mind to a sequel. I'm gonna leave the comments open for ideas on what I should do for a sequel, and I have a feeling I'll get some good ones. Focusing a bit more on this chapter, there is going to be some music, which I do not own.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own PAW Patrol, "Up &Up", "Coldplay", or "Parlophone Records". All 3rd parties mentioned belong to "Parlophone Records".**_

* * *

I stretched in the morning air. I had gotten into a habit of waking up early, and I enjoyed it. The sun was just starting to come up over the horizon, making the dew on the ground sparkle and shimmer. I was usually the only one awake at this hour, although I had found Chase awake as well at times. I looked back at my mate, who was still sleeping. He was in a fitful sleep, and he had called out a couple times. He had managed to sleep through the night, which did not happen often. I walked into the Lookout, and was a little surprised to see Chase there. He was sitting on a cushion, staring at the wall opposite him. I followed his line of focus, and he was gazing at the painting that we had hung yesterday.

I hung my head, and went back outside. I figured it was best to leave Chase alone. It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment. No one really knew how Chase got on, he usually stayed alone. There were times he was willing to be around us, but it was only on occasion. Yesterday's events stuck out in my mind. It had been the first time we had gone into town in months, and I had enjoyed myself. My train of thought then led me to what unfolded at the Lookout with me and Tonya. I shuddered, suddenly feeling very cold. Something wasn't feeling right, but I couldn't quite place my paw on it. I sighed, having grown used to this feeling. When you lived with us, that feeling became normal. My dreams would still be haunted by those wolves, no matter how long I would live.

I walked back over to Marshall's pup-house. I had moved here from Jake's after my brother's attack, for two main reasons. The first reason was that I couldn't get the same help as I could at the Lookout. Being at the Lookout had saved me on more than one occasion, such as one as yesterday. The second reason was that I needed the other pups. We all needed each other, to help us get through every day's struggles. We had all caught each other at some point almost killing ourselves, or dying from old wounds. Some would say we were "living on the edge", the fine line between life and death. I guess we were, but on the bad side. The side that made us depressed, knowing each day we would have to face countless struggles to survive. I hated it.

I took one of my pills, it dissolving in my mouth. Marshall had told me they were a strawberry flavor. Strawberries had been one of my favorite tasting foods, and now they were just bland berries. I walked out into the yard. The one thing I had found that helped me was yoga. We had all developed some way to deal with the memories, a way to escape the memories. Ryder and Marshall called it PTSD, some phrase for something. All I knew is that it was true. As I started my poses, my mind cleared out. Tonya got by with hugging and physical contact with others. Rocky dealt with it by building stuff in his workshop. Marshall spent his days trying to fall asleep, always looking tired. Zuma tried flirting with girls, but it was hard for him. He was outside more than any of us, but he had recently started staying at the Lookout.

I slowly breathed in, then exhaled. Balance was key, mine superior to most. Chase spent his days sitting there in grim silence, closing his eyes and ignoring everyone. Rubble never left Ryder's side, him helping in any way he could. We were all quirky and disfigured, but we got by. I was in one of my more complex, flexibility related forms when I got interrupted.

"Everest?" asked Tonya, in a small voice. I lost my composure, and fell. I blinked, regaining myself. I got up onto my paws.

"Yes, Tonya?" I asked. She didn't say anything, but came forward and gave me a hug. I hugged back. Everyone must've been sleeping in, because Tonya usually hugged Rocky as soon as he woke up. I understood though, and realized she needed love from someone. Chase had become hard, turning down just about everyone. Tonya stepped back, looking much better.

"Thanks," she said, and walked away. I sighed, and went back to my yoga. I closed my eyes, getting back into the rhythm I had started earlier.

I had spent a good portion of the morning performing yoga, losing myself in it. I only realized how long I had been out there when Marshall came to get me.

"Dear, I think you should be done," Marshall said, quietly. "I'm not one to be against yoga and stretching, but it's almost ten." I merely nodded, and did some cooldown exercises. When I was done, I walked back to the Lookout. I went inside, and nearly everyone was there. Only Rubble and Ryder weren't there, but that was to be expected. Chase was still staring at the painting, but he seemed to be looking beyond it. Marshall was sitting on a cushion, reading an Apollo Super-Pup magazine. I walked over to him, and I looked over to the couch. Tonya was laying on her stomach, a paw dangling over the edge of the couch. Her eyes were half-closed as Rocky was massaging her back. I was a little envious, but I had a feeling Rocky was doing it to help relax Tonya. Tonya would rather hug, but I knew she wouldn't pass on a back rub. I personally preferred a belly-rub, but I saw it as a bit pointless. No one was talking, for there was nothing to talk about.

I snuggled into Marshall, and he kept reading his magazine. He wrapped a paw around me, and it would have to do. It made me sad seeing my husband so detached from everyone. I nuzzled his side, trying to tickle his ribs. He didn't laugh, but he gave a weak smile. He gently pushed me away, and I went back to tickle him. He kept pushing me back, and I kept tickling him. Eventually he gave up, and gave a small laugh. Tonya opened an eye, and closed it again.

"You two better not be causing trouble," she said, eyes closed. Chase looked towards us, and raised an eyebrow. Marshall pretended to ignore them, going back to his comic book. I shrugged, and snuggled in close to Marshall. I closed my eyes, and laid there for a bit. I didn't fall asleep, but it felt good to be resting. At one point, I felt Marshall shift, and I felt his body wrap around mine. I smiled, glad that he was showing me some love.

I must have fallen asleep, for I was being shaken awake. I slowly opened my eyes, Marshall filling my vision. "Mmm?" I mumbled.

"I said," Marshall began, "do you want anything?" I rubbed my eyes, trying to dispel the sleepiness. When I took my paws away, the world was blurry. I closed my eyes, and was just about to ask for something when I felt my paws relaxing. Marshall was rubbing them, and I started to relax even more.

"Mmm. That's not what I was going to ask for, but my word that feels like heaven," I mumbled, partially into the cushion I was on. Any sort of tension in my paws I had were being relaxed away, and I could feel myself starting to lose consciousness. It was only when Marshall stop did I realize I was almost sleeping. "Oh, why? Why did you have to stop?" I groaned. I got up, and stretched. I wanted to stay there, to try and keep the relaxed feeling in my paws.

"You were almost asleep," Marshall answered.

"I know I was," I said, a bit more awake. "That meant I wanted you to keep going, not stop."

"Sorry, but it's lunch time. The others already ate. I've been waiting for you to wake up, but I realized I would have to wake you." His reasoning made sense. He led the way to the kitchen, and I opened the fridge. I wasn't sure what I wanted. We had all sorts of meats, but the chicken was gone. I noted that for when I would have to make dinner. Marshall usually was my "taster", to make sure I was doing everything good. He almost always said it was amazing, and I wasn't sure if he was flattering me or was being serious. The other pups' reactions led me to believe that it was the latter. I found myself pulling out some simple lunch meat, ham to be specific. I could see Marshall eye it hungrily, and I knew he wanted some. I fixed two sandwiches. One was just plain bread and ham for me, the other I got a bit more creative on. Marshall enjoyed trying new things when I made them, even if he didn't outright say so. I put the ham on the bread, and added a little bit of cinnamon. I then put on some mild cheddar, and a ripe tomato. I added a little bit of basil and mustard, and I nodded with satisfaction.

"Dear, how do you do that? I barely know how to put the ham on the bread, and here you are putting multiple different things together." I shrugged, and offered him the sandwich. He grabbed it, and took a bite. His eyes lit up as he chewed. "This is amazing," he said after he swallowed. "I didn't think it would work. Cinnamon and basil? Nice. Not to mention the mustard and tomato." He bit into the sandwich again, and I smiled. I started eating my own sandwich, a bit depressed at it not having any flavor again. We finished eating, and I started taking care of everything I had gotten out.

"Do you know where Chase is?" I asked as I put away the stuff I had gotten out.

"Not really. I saw him with Rocky after they ate, so I'm assuming they are together."

"Oh," I said. It was better than what I was expecting, but if anything, I worried for Rocky. Whenever I heard that Chase was with Rocky or Zuma, I always got worried. Chase was a master at silent movement, even if he wasn't as good as he used to be. He was fully capable of taking down Rocky or Zuma, and in his mental state I wouldn't be surprised if he did attack them. Marshall must have noticed how I was feeling. He came over and hugged me, giving me a small kiss as well.

I went to the workshop. If Rocky and Chase had gone anywhere, it would be there. I needed to make sure they weren't up to trouble. Or if Rocky was _in_ trouble. I braced myself as I walked through the door. Of what I was expecting, I was glad I came when I did. Chase looked up at me. I gasped as I saw him holding Rocky to the ground, Rocky's eyes filled with fear. He looked towards me as he saw Chase look. I ran forward.

"Chase! What are you doing?!" I shouted. Chase looked between me and Rocky. He slowly let go of Rocky, and started panicking. He stared at the floor, and looked at his paws. He had fear in his eyes, and he hung his head in shame. I saw a small tear hit the floor, and I knew that Chase hadn't been able to control himself. We all had problems, Chase's running a bit more deeply than anyone else's. I instantly started comforting him, and Rocky still had fear in his eyes.

"It's ok, Chase, it's ok. You couldn't control yourself. I know, I have been there multiple times. It's ok now." He started signing at me.

 _I didn't mean to do it. I felt angry all of a sudden, and I couldn't stop myself. I don't want to hurt my friends. I just want Skye. Please help me._ I looked to Rocky, making sure he saw it. His face had become one of sympathy instead of anger and fear.

 _It's ok, Chase,_ Rocky signed. _It happens to all of us. Let's go outside._ Chase nodded, guilt written all over his face. They walked out, leaving me alone in the workshop. I sighed, and went outside.

I went into the Lookout, and sat down on a cushion. I wasn't sure what to do now, since everyone was doing something else. I enjoyed being with others, it made me comfortable. I didn't like being alone, because it meant that I had time to think. My mind went back to that horrid day several years ago. Most everyone in Adventure Bay wasn't sure why my brother had attacked. Really, only what was left of the PAW Patrol knew the reason. It was because my brother wanted to teach me a lesson. He and I lived in the arctic together for a time, but he regularly beat me if he saw I wasn't strong enough or good enough. He said he did it to make me stronger and because he loved me. I was hoping to escape all of it by leaving, and going somewhere else in the arctic. That's when the PAW Patrol found me, and brought me to Adventure Bay. For a few years, my brother had no idea where I was. The PAW Patrol had met him, and he fooled them into thinking he was a nice pup. They finally saw who he was as he attacked me, and we eventually got rid of him. It was my idea, and we had put him on Volcano Island. We hadn't heard from him for nearly seven years, when he appeared out of nowhere. We had fought him, and he had gone off grid for another two years. Nearly four years ago we finally had him arrested, but not without him hurting innocent people. I hated myself for it, knowing that none of it would have happened if it weren't for me. I had cost Skye her life, and I lived with that weight on my shoulders every day. The others said that it can't possibly have been my fault, but I knew better.

Tonya walked in. She had panic in her eyes, and I was about to ask what was wrong when she rushed forward and hugged me. I relaxed, and hugged her back. I could feel her tense muscles loosen, and she gave a pleased sigh. "Thanks," Tonya said, stepping away from me. I smiled at her. "I couldn't find anyone, no one was around. I didn't know where they were." Her voice had a little bit of panic in it still, but she became more relaxed.

"Tonya," I started, but I didn't know how to go on. I chewed my lip a moment as I thought. I didn't want to make her feel bad, but she voiced what I was thinking.

"'Don't freak out'?" she finished for me. I gave a slight nod, and she laughed nervously. "Don't worry, I'm not offended. I know you have your problems too." She winked at me, and I gave a weak smile in return. She flashed me a smile, then went outside. I wasn't sure what else to do, so I followed her. I was just walking out the door when music floated up to my ears. I turned around, and the music got slightly louder. I walked around the Lookout, following my ears. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from, when I heard a voice. The voice was masculine, and I listened closely. Lyrics started drifting up to my ears.

 _Oh they same people come, say people go._

 _This particular diamond was extra special._

The voice was smooth and soft, making me pause. I listened, allowing myself to hear more.

 _And though you might be gone, and the world may not know._

 _Still I see you, celestial._

I closed my eyes, letting myself drown in the music. It was such a sweet sound, a perfect harmony between voice and piano. I opened my eyes, and kept hunting for the source. More lyrics drifted towards me as I continued my search.

 _Like a lion you ran, a goddess you rolled._

 _Like an eagle you circled, in perfect purple._

 _So how come things move on, how come cars don't slow,_

 _When it feels like the end of my world,_

 _When I should but can't let you go?_

I was getting much closer. I stopped outside a door. The noise was coming from inside, louder than ever now. It was an old music room we hadn't used or gone in for ages, yet noise was coming from it. I nudged the door open, the hinges staying silent. What I saw amazed me. Marshall was sitting at the piano, his back to me. He was the source of the music. I opened the door farther while he kept singing.

 _But when I'm cold, co-o-old_

 _When I'm cold, co-o-old_

 _There's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow,_

 _There's a feeling you give me, an everglow!_

I stared in awe at the power of emotions his voice was invoking in me. I gave a small gasp, and he heard me. He missed a note, and turned around. He stared at me, his face growing red with embarrassment.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I hope this chapter was a bit less depressing than the first two. I added this chapter mostly as a break from the depression, and as a little spoiler/warning that the next chapter is going to focus on music. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I can't wait to see what everyone thinks of the story so far. Until then, this is TheMattdude signing off.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hey guys! I was wondering whether or not you liked the previous chapter. Please let me know what you think! This chapter also contains a bit more of the music, which if you don't like you can skip over it. I know this wasn't a terribly long story (around 12,000 words without the author's notes), but I felt that I would just be dragging it on if I continued. There is going to be one more, very short chapter after this, so I at least hope you've stuck with the story thus far. I have been toying with the idea for awhile now, and so I figured I'd let the readers decide. Do you, the audience, want to see a sequel? I'd be open to suggestions as to what sort of sequel you would want (if you want one). I am currently trying to work on a story of Tonya as well, and how she became part of the PAW Patrol, but I've hit serious writer's block. Enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own PAW Patrol, "Up &Up", "Coldplay", or "Parlophone Records". All 3rd parties mentioned are owned by their respective groups.**_

* * *

"What are you doing here?" he asked me.

"The better question is why did you stop? That was wonderful, Marshall," I said. He blushed.

"Thanks, although it's not my song. It's called 'Everglow', from a band I really like. Coldplay is their name." I couldn't have cared less though. I had never heard my husband sing for years, and I had forgotten how sweet his voice was. He had a real talent for singing.

"Marshall, I haven't heard you sing in forever. You never told me you still did."

"I haven't done it a lot. This is only my fourth time here. I still remembered how to play the piano, and I figured 'Why not try it?' I've been quiet, up until now, I guess. I wonder if the others heard me."

"I doubt they did, they were all too far away." I paused as an idea struck me. "Marshall, you need to play that song for Chase. Please. I can tell he's been going downhill. Well, I guess he's always been a bit downhill. I need you to do it." Marshall looked at me uneasily. "I could bring him down here." I could tell Marshall was struggling with the decision. He didn't want to do it in front of others, but he really wanted to help his friend. He eventually caved.

"Alright, I'll do it. I guess if I'm doing it, we should be dramatic about it. I'll start playing in four minutes. Should give you enough time to get Chase and get him close enough to hear. Bring him here, and I'll keep playing. Time's running. Go fetch him."

I ran off, knowing that Chase was in the yard. I burst out of the Lookout, and looked around. I smiled as I saw Chase still playing with Rocky. I trotted forward. "Chase!" I called. He looked towards me, and I continued. "Could I borrow you for a second? I need to show you something for a few minutes." He looked between me and Rocky. He nodded, and signed to Rocky.

 _I'll be back,_ Chase signed, and Rocky merely nodded. I trotted forward, Chase right behind me. I slowed down as we reached the entrance to the Lookout, and I timed it perfectly. I could just hear the piano playing.

"Chase, can you hear that?" I asked. We were silent as he listened intently. After a moment, he nodded. I motioned for him to follow me, and we walked down the hall. As we walked, Marshall began singing. I looked back towards Chase, and he looked around. I stifled a giggle, and we continued walking. Marshall was at the chorus of the song when we reached the door to the music room. It was shut, and I looked towards Chase.

 _But when I'm cold, co-o-old_

 _When I'm cold, co-o-old_

 _There's a light that you give me, when I'm in shadow,_

 _There's a feeling you give me, an everglow!_

Chase's bottom lip was quivering. I knew that the song was speaking to him strongly, reminding him of Skye. I opened the door, allowing Chase to see in. He had tears in his eyes, and when he saw Marshall he looked down at the floor. I put my paw around him, and he leaned into me and cried. I felt terrible, but it felt to me that he needed to hear the song. Marshall kept singing, and I could feel Chase's body rack with sobs.

 _Like brothers in blood, sisters who ride._

 _And we swore on that night we'd be friends til we die_

 _But the changing of winds, and the way waters flow,_

 _Life as short as the falling of snow,_

 _And now I'm gonna miss you I know._

Marshall stopped the song right there. I knew that the song was much longer, but I had a feeling Marshall knew how Chase would take it. Marshall turned around, the room eerily silent without the music playing. He got down, and grabbed Chase's shoulder. Chase looked up at him, and Marshall spoke.

"I-, I didn't mean to upset you. Everest and I thought it was a good idea." I could tell Marshall felt as bad as I did. Chase stepped away from me, and started signing.

 _I know you didn't mean to upset me. I'm crying because that was a beautiful song, and it reminds me of Skye. It makes me realize that I can mourn for her, but I can't hold onto her forever. Thank you, for playing that song for me._ I started to get tears in my eyes as I realized what Chase meant. It really was a beautiful song, and Marshall had a beautiful voice for it. We all missed Skye. Chase missed her the most of all, and the song brought him memories about her. Chase walked around the music room, stopping at the drums. He and I could both play them fairly well, so I wasn't surprised when he started playing them. He didn't play them like I thought he would though. He started drumming a slow beat, and I realized it went with the song Marshall had been playing.

Marshall made the connection as well, and went over to the piano. He started playing, and the soft beat and piano notes created a very sweet sound. I lost myself in it, when I heard someone at the door. I turned around, and saw Tonya there. She raised an eyebrow, and I merely shrugged. Once Marshall started singing for the third time though, Tonya's eyes went wide. I smiled at her, amused by her facial expression. She rolled her eyes, and went searching through the music room. I had a feeling she was going to find and play an instrument. She had her pup-pack on, so I wasn't surprised to see her pick up her old guitar. She blew dust off of it, and quietly tuned it. I went back to listening to Marshall and Chase. They were making such a sweet sound, I didn't want it to stop. Then Tonya joined. I was surprised they were able to play so well together without practicing, but I guess it just stuck with them over the years.

What was going on in the room was a thing of beauty. The music was swelling, becoming a wave of symphony. It had been too long since I had heard such sweet noise, and I turned around to see an audience had gathered in the doorway. Zuma, Ryder, and Rubble were there. I didn't see Rocky, so he must've been in the workshop. I was surprised to see Rubble and Ryder, since they hardly ever came out of the top level of the Lookout. I gave them a smile, and Ryder returned the smile. Zuma didn't see it, and I think Rubble was just ignoring me.

The smile on my face ebbed a little as I saw Rubble ignoring everyone, and he almost seemed angry. The only explanation I could come up with was that he was jealous of Marshall, or felt like he should have been singing. He had become much more stern and disliked frivolous things. I quickly walked out. No one moved to stop me, and I was somewhat glad. I wasn't sure why, but I felt like going on a walk. I needed to clear my head. I could never have a lot to think about, it always made me feel cornered and caught. Fresh air always helped.

I found myself walking far. I had walked through town, and I was getting up into Jake's Mountain. It felt like the best place for me. I had lived there for years. I knew the mountain like the back of my paw. I didn't want to be around other people right now, though. If I went around the mountain I could be alone, and that's what I wanted. I climbed around the mountain. Pebbles and stones came loose beneath my paws, falling down the cliff. I wasn't afraid. I had done this many times before, and if anything, I felt comfortable with it. I eventually reached the back of the mountain. I was surrounded by pines, and I inhaled deeply. I imagined smelling the pines, wishing I really could smell them. I found a very small, open spot, roughly 5 feet wide, and I began doing yoga. The world was muffled, and I was where I could focus on what I was doing. I heard a small bird, and focused on that. I pictured what it looked like in my mind, every feather it had. I imagined it flying back to its nest, feeding its chicks.

I heard something crunching through the snow. I shook myself back to reality, and faced the noise. It was coming from farther away, and it was making no attempts at hiding itself. I quietly treaded through the snow, and came up behind a big boulder. The noise the animal was making wasn't consistent, almost like it was in pain. There would be several slow steps, then several more in rapid succession. I peaked over the edge of the boulder, but a small crest was blocking my view. I went to the crest, and got down on my stomach. The animal was much closer, and it was making lots of noise. I slid forward, looking just over the crest. I gasped. I stood up, and ran forward. I plowed through the snow, not caring where my paws went. I got there just as she collapsed.

"Skye!" I shouted. I felt her body, looking for broken bones. Thankfully, there were none. I knew I had to get her somewhere warm. I picked her up, and started hiking to Jake's. I could tell Skye was getting colder. She had stopped shivering, and I knew that was the worst possible sign. I threw any caution to the wind, and I ran to Jake's. He had pills there just in case I needed them, and I was glad for that. I could tell I was going to need them.

I called Marshall on my pup-tag. "Marshall!" I said between breaths, "Go to Jake's mountain. There is a patient in critical condition, extreme hypothermia."

"Ok," Marshall replied. "I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Great. Bring Chase with you too. Jake and I need his nose."

"Um, ok." Marshall signed off. I didn't want to say who I had just yet. I wanted her to be a surprise.

I started to struggle as I got nearer to Jake's. It was much icier from constant foot travel causing the snow to melt, and I had to be much more careful. I almost fell twice, and both times I could tell I strained a muscle. I could see Jake's cabin now, and I could also see Marshall's ambulance. I ran with a final burst of speed, and covered the last few yards with blinding speed. I barely paused at the door, throwing it open. I was covered in sweat, even though it was cold. My breathing came fast and heavy, trying to get air into my demanding lungs. I saw Chase and Marshall there, and they had the table cleared. I set Skye down, looking over her for the first time. She had a recent wound, which had just scabbed over. She had several more scars, and she was so thin I could see her ribs. I looked to Marshall and Chase, and both of them had wide eyes. Marshall quickly got to work, trying to get Skye warmer. Chase looked at Skye, unable to take his eyes off her. I was just hoping she would be okay.

It had been three days since I had found Skye. Marshall had been trying to revive her the whole time, and Chase had never left her side. We had stayed at Jake's the whole time, telling Ryder that Jake needed us for a while. We didn't want him to worry if something didn't go as planned. So far, though, Marshall had said that she was actually doing really well. Her condition was stable, and so we had been taking turns watching her. Jake had been surprised to find us with Skye at first, but he didn't really question it. He, like us, just wanted Skye to get through this.

I was watching Skye. I just needed to make sure nothing unexpected happened, and so I was looking at a magazine Jake had about mountaineering. I leafed through the pages. It said everything I already knew, so it felt a little pointless. I heard Skye shift, and I immediately looked up. She groaned, and her paws went to rub her eyes. I set down the magazine, and went over to her. She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly.

"Mmm, Everest?" she said.

"Yeah, Skye. It's me," I answered.

"Good," she said. "I wanted to make sure I was with someone I knew. I'm sorry, but I don't think I like where you come from."

"Yeah, I didn't like it either. You're okay now. We're at Jakes."

"Is anyone else here?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll go get them. I'll be right back." I walked out of the room, and went to find Chase and my husband. They were in a back room of the cabin, doing some sort of card game. "Guys, Skye is awake." I hadn't seen Chase look so happy in years. He instantly got up, and quickly walked to the room where Skye was. Marshall and I reached the room shortly after Chase, and he was already at Skye's side. He didn't hesitate. He kissed her, and fell down next to her. He hugged her tightly, and I saw Skye's paw wrap around his side.

"Oh, Chase!" Skye said, "I missed you so much!" He didn't answer, keeping her close to him. Skye closed her eyes, and snuggled in more deeply to his embrace. "How have you been? Is Crystal around?" I winced slightly as Skye said that. Chase slowly pulled away from Skye, a sad look on his face. Skye broke eye contact with him. "Is- Is she dead?" I stepped forward, and was about to answer when a coarse voice, barely more than a whisper, cut me off.

"I don't know. They all left a long time ago. It's a miracle to see you." I turned, shocked, towards Chase. He had a paw rubbing his throat, and I had a feeling it had hurt quite a lot for him to talk.

"Why did they leave?" Skye asked quietly. This time I spoke.

"We don't know why they left. They said they were going to finish 'it'. What that means, we don't know." Then a question came to the front of my mind. "Skye, how are you alive? What happened?" Skye gave a long sigh.

"When they attacked, and then withdrew, they took me with them. They ripped off my collar and vest, and forced me to follow them. We were on the move for countless nights, and I couldn't stop shivering. I didn't have a thick fur coat to keep me warm, and I started to flag in pace. The beat me every time I slowed down, forcing me to keep up. We eventually made it to the arctic, and they dropped me there. They had beat me again before they dropped me off, and I was so wounded I'm surprised I survived. A pup found me, and she nursed me back to health. She taught me all kinds of tricks for surviving, and we became friends. She was old, but seemed so much younger. I was with her for two years before I noticed something was wrong. When I asked her, she said that she was sick and wouldn't live much longer. I, I was with her when she passed. She told me how to get here, so I started making my way back. She really was a true hero to me." I thought about her words. There was only one dog I knew who would do that. I was about to ask Skye what the dog's name was, but she must have been anticipating the question. "The dog's name who helped me was Snow. She seemed very understanding of the situation I was in." I gave a small start of surprise at the name.

"Snow? You mean, my mother helped you?" The other pups looked at me in silence. I wasn't sure what to think either. I had a feeling that it would have been my mother that would help Skye, but still. Skye eventually answered.

"I think I remember her saying that she had been through something like that before, trying to help me and whatnot. I'm just glad to be back home." Skye slowly sat up. "Are the rest of the pups fine?" Marshall looked at his paws, and Chase looked around the room. I gave a sigh, knowing they wanted me to answer that.

"It depends on what you mean," I finally said. "We're all still here, but we suffer from injuries and memories. Just as a quick once over, I can't smell or taste anything. Marshall suffers severely from the memories, and Chase at this point can barely speak. Zuma is blind, Rocky is deaf, and Tonya lost part of her leg. Rubble hasn't suffered too much, and Ryder is paralyzed. I wish I could give you more cheery news," I said, a little depressed. Skye merely nodded.

"I wasn't expecting anything happy or too cheery." She looked at Chase. "I'm still just happy to be home. Can we go to the Lookout?" she asked. Chase nodded, and started signing.

 _I would love to have you back at the Lookout. I've been so alone, I just want to be with you._ Skye glanced at him curiously.

"I just want to be with you too," Skye said. I'll admit I was a little surprised that she understood him. Chase walked up to her and picked her up. He helped her onto his back, then started walking out the door. I looked at Marshall, and he shrugged. May as well follow them, the movement said.

We walked outside, where I saw Marshall's and Chase's vehicles. Chase was already helping Skye into his truck. I smiled seeing the two of them together. I couldn't remember the last time I saw Chase so happy, it felt like ages since I had seen him truly smile. We drove back to the Lookout, and I was riding with Marshall. I called Ryder on my pup-tag.

"Hi Everest," he said, "is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, in fact we're on our way back to the Lookout," I answered.

"Good, good. We look forward to seeing you back home."

"I'm looking to being home again as well," I said. "And Ryder, is it alright if a guest stays with us at the Lookout?" There was a hesitation on Ryder's end.

"Uh, I guess you could bring company. We seldom have it anymore, it'll be good for the pups." More than you know, I thought.

"Alright, we'll see you soon," I said, and signed off. I sighed, not knowing what to expect.

"What's wrong, Dear?" Marshall asked.

"I've just been thinking. Where could our pups be? They've been gone longer than Skye has now, and we have no idea where they could be. It's also been days since we've been to the Lookout, and what if something happened? I mean, it isn't likely, but something still could've happened while we were gone. And one more thing is, I know Chase has been depressed and has been waiting for Skye to come back, but what is he going to do now? He's the only real thing I'm worried about. He's just created this hole around him, and now what's he going to do with Skye? I just have so many questions, and for the most part, none of them have answers." Marshall nodded.

"I have those same questions. I don't know how Chase is going to hold up. We both know he's unstable, not to say it in a bad way, but he is. Only time really can answer those questions." We rode in silence the rest of the way to the Lookout.

We were coming up the driveway, and I felt something was wrong. Or at least, different. Something had changed, and I looked at my mate. His face said the same thing. We knew something was up. When Marshall stopped, I jumped out quickly. I ran inside the Lookout, and everyone was there. I almost had a sense of deja vu. Tonya was on the couch again, with Rocky massaging her back. Zuma was pawing a wooden figurine Chase had carved him, and Rubble was nowhere to be seen. Tonya partially opened an eye to look at me.

"Look who's back," she said, partly into the cushions, "what's the matter? Ryder and Rubble are upstairs, Rocky was just up there." I didn't answer, and ran into the elevator. I rapidly tapped my paw on the ground, impatient to get to the top. It finally reached the top level, and I walked in. Ryder and Rubble were there, working on a project. I blinked, my brain working slowly. I had felt something different, maybe even wrong, yet everything was fine. Ryder looked to me, a curious expression on his face.

"Hi, Everest. Is something wrong?" I shook my head.

"No, I don't think so. I just got a feeling something was wrong when I got here." I shook myself, and collected my thoughts. "Our guest is here, and I want you to come see them." Ryder rolled his wheelchair forward, Rubble following him. We went into the elevator, and had a silent ride down. Rubble made me feel uncomfortable, like he was daring me to harm Ryder. The elevator reached ground level after what felt like ages, and I quickly walked out. Tonya opened an eye again, then gave a deep sigh of pleasure. Ryder was quick to grab their attention, though.

"Pups," he said. Tonya looked up, then slowly sat up with a long sigh. She quickly got to translating for Rocky. Zuma hadn't given any sort of sign that he heard what Ryder said, but I knew he was listening. "Everest, Marshall, and Chase have been up at Jake's Mountain the past few days. They brought someone back to stay with us, but I don't know for how long. So just be prepared." The others all nodded, and Ryder had finished none too soon. Marshall poked his head in, and all eyes went to him. He put his tail between his legs, and skulked over to me, for lack of a better word. Once he was at my side, he perked up. I inhaled deeply, preparing myself for the reaction that would happen. Chase walked in, with Skye right behind him.

There was a stunned silence, and I looked around. Everyone's eyes were wide, apart from Zuma's. I felt kinda bad for him. He couldn't see who had walked in. I saw Tonya slowly get down off the couch, not once taking her eyes off Skye. She slowly walked up, and hugged Skye. My heart melted, glad that we were a team once again.

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 _ **A/N: Just to repeat myself (and so you don't forget about it...or so I don't forget about it) there is going to be a sort of "epilogue" to follow up a little bit. If you guys and gals want to see a sequel, either leave a review or PM me about it. I am open to suggestions as to what kind of sequel you want and/or who's perspective you want to see it in. I need your opinion! If I don't get any suggestions, chances are that I won't get around to writing a sequel until much later, when everyone's forgotten about this story XD. I will try to get the final chapter up soon! Until then, this is TheMattdude signing off!**_


	5. Epilogue

_**A/N: So, here is a revised epilogue to the story. For some of you, you might not understand what I mean, but just go along with it. After I had gotten a review concerning the epilogue, saying it was "rushed", it made me start thinking about it. And so, eventually agreeing with it, I figured I could write a better epilogue. So, shout-out to Chappeh for posting that review, and I appreciate the support! At this point, I am several chapters into "The Bygone Few", so please check that out! I am hoping to get at least two chapters for that out over holiday break, so something to look forward to. Until then, this is TheMattdude signing off!**_

* * *

I gave a large yawn, stretching as I did so. I gently nuzzled my mate and husband, and he smiled in his sleep. The smile spread to my face, and I couldn't help but feel warmth blossom inside me. He was getting better at sleeping through the night, maybe because he was finally moving on, maybe because he knew Skye was alright. Whatever the reason, I was glad to see him happier.

I walked outside, the crisp morning air making it feel as if my throat had crystallized. It was early, and the sun was just starting to rise. I walked to the edge of the cliff, sitting there to watch the sun rise. At some point I closed my eyes, letting the salty sea air blow through my fur. I imagined myself on the deck of a ship, commanding those around me to do their duties. I smiled at the thought. My smile faded as I thought about our pups. They were who knows where, doing who knows what. I was hoping that Miracle would keep the other two, Ace and Winter, in check.

I heard someone sit down next to me, but I kept my eyes closed. "It's beautiful this early in the morning, isn't it?" said a female voice. She wasn't here for long, her owner was good friends with Ryder. He had dropped his dog and his three year old daughter off for us to watch.

"Yes, Chocolate," I said, using her nickname, "it's very beautiful indeed." I could feel her glaring at me, but I kept my face deadpan.

"First off, it's Cassandra, not Chocolate. Regardless of what that child says. Second, do you always enjoy the mornings?"

"I try to." Silence reigned. "You know Zuma likes you, right?"

"Of course I know. Even if he is blind it doesn't mean he's subtle."

I opened one eye to look at her. "I get the feeling you like Zuma as well. And not because you don't see many chocolate labs on the island."

"Oh, I've tried liking guys. I've gone on so many dates that I lost track." I opened both eyes to look at her. "And the weirdest thing? They're all the same. They stay until something rough happens, then leave. They all say I'm pretty, but not one of them has yet to truly say and mean the words 'I love you'."

"And Zuma's different?"

"He's the first blind pup I've met. He hasn't once said I'm beautiful, but he's said he likes me. Just the _way_ he says it, it makes me think about him all the time."

I laughed a little. "You two are one and the same. He's been on so many dates, none of the PAW Patrol can keep track. He's been here and there, but I don't think of any of the girls I've seen him with he truly loved. I think the longest relationship he was in was a month, but I have a feeling that will change soon." I couldn't resist smiling at Cassandra.

"Choc'wate? Whewe awe you Choc'wate?" I couldn't help but giggle at the sound of the three year old.

"Call of duty?" I managed to giggle. She merely glared at me.

"All the time." Cassandra walked away to the voice, leaving me alone. I sighed, and turned back to the water. It was beautiful, the way the light danced and reflected off the rolling waves. I heard more pawsteps behind me, and I looked behind me to see Skye approaching.

"Hey, girlfriend," I said jovially, using an old greeting we had.

"Right back at ya'" said Skye, a pleased grin on her face. She walked up and hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back. I inhaled deeply, wishing I could smell her sweet scent. "I missed you," Skye said in a small voice. "It's good to be home."

"I missed you too, Skye," I said. "Even if I am broken physically, I feel that I'm fixed emotionally with you here. At least, most of the way." I looked out to the sea again, the sun almost completely risen.

"They're tough pups. We raised them, I know they'll be alright," Skye reassured me. "I know Crystal is going to be fine, she's a tough pup. And if I know my own daughter, she won't let anything happen to the other pups."

I sighed for what felt like the twentieth time that morning already. "I know. I just haven't seen my babies in so long, I really miss them. They've been gone almost four years, and we haven't been able to contact them at all. Not one of them. They haven't reached out to us, and we can't get to them."

Skye rubbed her paw down my back. "I felt the same way when I was alone, trying to survive and eventually get home. I wanted so much to be able to contact you, to try to let you know I was mostly okay. But you want to know what kept me going?"

"What?" I asked, staring deep into her eyes.

"Knowing that I would see you guys again. Whenever I felt like giving up, whenever I felt hopeless, I just told myself that I _would_ see you again. And you need to think that now. You need to tell yourself that you _will_ see your pups again. That's what I keep telling myself." Skye turned and left, leaving me all alone again. After sitting there for a good while, I walked back to the Lookout.

Most of the pups were up and were in the main room. Chase and Skye were on the couch, Skye reading a book to Chase. Not that he needed the help. Zuma and Cassandra were sitting together, with the three year old Ellie petting and pulling at Cassandra's ears and fur. I was surprised to see she didn't really mind it, as it would've driven me crazy. Tonya and Rocky had somehow managed to fall asleep on top of one another, with Rocky on his back and Tonya draped across his stomach like some sort of blanket. I smiled to myself, and sat down next to Marshall, who was again reading his Apollo Super Pup magazines.

Making myself more comfortable, I nuzzled into his side, and he gently pushed me away. I nuzzled him again, adamant to get a more caring reaction. After the third time, he sighed and closed his comic. He shifted, shimmering back and forth to get more comfortable. We leaned into each other, and I licked the side of his face. He responded by licking mine, it tickling and making me laugh quietly.

"I love you, Marshall," I told him.

"And I love you too."

And so, even if we are battered and broke, hardly able to live through life, we're strong. We're a family, we help one another every day, making sure we're okay. We are the PAW Patrol, through brightest day, or darkest night, we come through, and do what is right.


End file.
